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Staghorn Fern (Platycerium) Pups: Which Species Make Them and How to Divide

Platycerium, commonly called staghorn fern, comes in two growth types. Some species send up pups, new plants that can be cut away and grown on. Others grow as a single crown and never do. Knowing which type you have tells you how to propagate it, and how to plan a mount.

What is a pup?

When a pup-forming Platycerium is healthy and settled, its roots grow out past the shield fronds or along side branches of the rhizome, and new plants come up from them. Each pup grows its own bud, shield fronds and fertile fronds. Once it is growing steadily, it can be separated from the parent and grown on its own.

Pup-forming or single-crown?

The Platycerium Textbook divides staghorn ferns into a pup-forming type and a monopodial (single-crown) type. Single-crown species cannot form side buds and reproduce only from spores. In our growing:

Single crown: no pups

• P. coronarium, P. grande, P. superbum, P. wandae, P. holttumii and P. wallichii
• P. ridleyi

These are raised from spores. See growing staghorn ferns from spores.

Pup-forming: pup readily, depending on conditions

• P. willinckii, including the willinckii-line dwarfs
• P. bifurcatum and P. hillii
• P. veitchii

Hybrids follow their parents: a cross between pup-forming species can make pups, but if one parent is a single-crown species, the hybrid may not make pups.

Pup numbers are unpredictable and inconsistent, even between plants of the same variety. Treat pups as a bonus, not a yield you can plan on.

The Textbook places the African and South American species (the Africa-America group) with the pup-forming type. For a specific African or American species, ask us what we see in our own plants.

How to divide a staghorn fern pup

1. Wait for the shield. Wait until the pup's own shield frond is about 5–7 cm across.
2. Use a clean, sharp blade. Cut around the edge of the pup's shield frond.
3. Lift it out whole. Take the pup out with its roots and some of the medium, so the new plant has roots, a shield frond and fertile fronds.
4. Mount or pot it. Mount it on a small board with sphagnum moss (see how to mount a staghorn fern) or pot it up.
5. Nurse it. Keep it in bright shade with high humidity. A clear, closed nursing box works well. Water lightly until new fronds appear and the roots grip the medium.

Leave the parent's old brown shield fronds alone while you work. They protect its roots and hold water.

Looking for plants? See Platycerium by type, with mother-plant photos, or the full availability list.

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